5 things Kylian Mbappe need to do to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or
Kylian Mbappe is undoubtedly the hottest property in world football right now. The Frenchman only reasserted that fact by scoring a brilliant brace in his last outing against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarters. He had also single-handedly dragged PSG across the line in a tricky tie against Barcelona in the same competition, with Neymar missing the engagement due to injury.
In 38 appearances this season, Kylian Mbappe has been involved in 41 goals (32 goals, 9 assists), making him the top scorer in Ligue 1 and second in the Champions League. PSG has been in great form, especially in the Champions League, and are one of the favorites to lift the title.
Kylian Mbappe is also all set to play a key role in Euro 2021 for France, who come into this tournament as the reigning World Cup champions.
Ballon d’Or was called off last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, robbing Robert Lewandowski of a well-deserved win. Besides Euros, the Copa America is also scheduled this year, giving the biggest contenders for the trophy even more games to make their case.
Today, let’s take a look at:
5 things Kylian Mbappe needs to do to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or
#5 Win the Ligue 1 Golden Boot
To win the Ballon D’Or come December, Kylian Mbappe’s first step should be to win the Ligue 1 golden boot. The 22-year-old is currently in pole position with 20 goals to his name. He is also second in the assists chart among his PSG teammates.
Kylian Mbappe has been in scorching-hot goalscoring form, both in Europe and at home, in Ligue 1. In 26 appearances, the Frenchman has an average of 0.92 goals per game, with a goal conversion rate of 31%. Mbappe averages an impressive 10.4 touches in the box per 90 minutes of a Ligue 1 encounter, with a total of 65 attempted shots.
The Golden Boy of world football is certainly going to meet this target, as he enjoys a 5-goal lead over Wissam Ben Yedder, who is secondnd among Ligue 1 top goal-scorers this season.
#4 Win the UEFA Champions League Golden Boot
Next on Kylian Mbappe’s checklist should be to win the UEFA Champions League Golden Boot. It had seemed like Haaland would run away with it, after scoring in six consecutive CL matches in the early going.
But the Frenchman has launched an impressive comeback, scoring 8 goals in his last 4 European outings. Four of them came against Barcelona with a hat-trick in the first-leg - dealing a lethal blow to the former Spanish champions. Haaland is currently leading the charts with 10 goals to his name, with Mbappe a close second with 8 goals.
Much would depend on which of the teams make it to the next round, and this would give Kylian Mbappe a slight edge. Borussia Dortmund face a 2-1 as they host the rampaging Manchester City next week, while PSG will have a 3-2 win to build on at Parc Des Princes against Bayern Munich.